Zak Brown: 'McLaren can beat Red Bull to F1 title if Sergio Perez doesn't improve'

McLaren are eyeing a constructors' title charge THIS YEAR as Sergio Perez continues to struggle.

The Mexican signed a new Red Bull contract only last month after a decent start to the season. But since putting pen to paper his form has fallen off again and he has scored just 15 points across the last five race weekends.

Team-mate Max Verstappen continues to perform and has won seven of the 11 races held so far this year. But while he has a strong grip on the drivers' championship, the gap in the teams' standings is closing with every week that goes by.

Most of their rivals have two drivers who are performing, particularly McLaren. And chief executive Zak Brown told reporters, including Mirror Sport, on Saturday that he believes his team can leapfrog Red Bull by the end of the season if Perez continues to underperform.

He said: "I think it's going to be dependent upon Perez at the end of the day, because you've just got to assume Max is going to be first, second or third at every race of the year - probably more firsts than thirds.

"Sergio underperforming is what's opening the window for us. I think if we have the same points gain we've had for the last six races the balance of the year, we'd get the job done. So we're fully aware of it.

"But the way Andrea [Stella, team principal] motivates the team is all about this weekend and the next session, then next weekend. We know we can do it, but that's not what's driving our motivation. What's driving our motivation is trying to get better every session and every week - and the outcome will take care of itself."

McLaren have closed the performance gap significantly to their Red Bull rivals. The defending champions started the season in dominant form once again, but since the beginning of May in particular have faced stiff competition from Lando Norris, while Ferrari and Mercedes have also tasted victory this year.

Brown admitted his surprise at how quickly the teams have converged this season. And he predicted an exciting rest of the year as the F1 campaign reaches its halfway point this weekend at the British Grand Prix.

He added: "We all went to Bahrain and thought, 'Right, that's that championship'. I think it's going to be epic. Mercedes seem to be very on the pace now, Ferrari there or there abouts - not too many races ago Charles [Leclerc] won. You've got four different teams that are all going to win races in the second half of the year, so it's pretty awesome. It's unfortunate that the season didn't start now."